With a name like ‘widowbird,’ you’d expect this dusky male to have a low-key love life. But those 20-inch-long tail feathers are highly favored by females, even though they can make it difficult for the males to fly on windy days. The display has been the subject of much study regarding sexually selected traits and the tradeoffs between physical constraint and attracting a mate, since the tail feathers don’t seem to aid in flight and may even cause a hinderance. Ah, the things we do for love.
Longtailed widowbird at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Step into the dark
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Uredd Rest Area, Norway
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Pollinator Week
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A medieval celebration in the Mediterranean
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Salmon migration in full swing
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To Sua Ocean Trench
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Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
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Summer solstice
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Welcome to Scotland s garden
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When Death Valley blew its top
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National Merry-Go-Round Day
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Füzér Castle in the Zemplén Mountains, Hungary
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A Festivus for the rest of us
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A unique elephant encounter in Nantes
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Pi Day
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Fog above the forest
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Dolomites
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It s National Camera Day. Get the picture?
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A walk among the giants
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World Numbat Day
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A prison fit for a count
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Long-eared owl in the Czech Republic
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Florentine garden brings generations together
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Mod gear
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Arambol Beach, Goa, India
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Porcupine
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International Day for Biosphere Reserves
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The Zugspitze: Germany s highest point
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Corfe gets creepy
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Through an artist s eyes